January, 2013

RESEARCH SURVEY: PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPLES’ PERCEPTIONS OF GAA GAMES

INTRODUCTION

This research was carried out at the at the Irish Primary Principles Network (IPPN) Conference on Thur 24th & Fri 25th of January last. This research attempts to give a snapshot of perceptions’ of Primary School Principals’ (PSPs) on the GAA Go Games initiative. The aims and objectives of this survey are PSP’s are as follows;

1.  To gain an insight into the Primary School Principals’ (PSPs) perceptions on the GAA Go Games initiative

2.  To develop basic understanding of PSPs’ ability to identify labeling around the Go Games initiative

3.  To get a national perspective on PSPs’ opinions around maintaining the traditional approach of playing hurling and football at U13 level (15-a-side and trophies for winners)

4.  To inform the GAA on ways to enhance future policy decisions and the implementation of a strategy to develop hurling and Gaelic football at the Child Level (up to 13years of age).

METHODOLOGY

A research questionnaire was devised (See Appendix 1), including nine questions. The questionnaire aimed to give a mostly quantitative measure of PSPs’ perceptions of Go Games. While this is informative, it must be noted more qualitative research could be conducted with a larger number of the population sample to give a clearer overall picture. The IPPN was as an ideal place to gather data with 1,000 Primary School Principles gathered here from all parts of Ireland. Questionnaires were designed to be quick and easy to complete, intending to increase the number of participants.

RESULTS

§  School Name & Address (Questions 1 & 2)

92 Questionnaires were completed in total, with schools from 20 different counties represented. Munster completed 30 questionnaires, Leinster 40, Connacht 17 and Ulster 5.

County / Completed Questionnaires
Laois / 5
Galway / 6
Mayo / 8
Limerick / 4
Tipperary / 6
Kildare / 2
Cork / 14
Wexford / 10
Dublin / 13
Cavan / 3
Westmeath / 3
Meath / 4
Tyrone / 1
Longford / 2
Louth / 1
Leitrim / 1
Offaly / 3
Sligo / 2
Monaghan / 1
Waterford / 3
Kerry / 3
Total / 92

§  Cumann na mBunscol Participation (Question 3)

93% of schools participate in a Cumann na mBunsol games programme and 7% do not.

58% participate in hurling and football, 28% play football only, 4% play hurling only and 5% do not play at all.

5% failed to respond.

§  Awareness with Go Games (Question 4)

82% are familiar with the Go Games logos and 18% are not.

§  Familiarity with Go Games logos (Question 5)

76% are familiar with the Go Games logos, 16% are not and 8% did not reply.

§  The meaning of the “Go” in Go Games (Question 6)

56% of participants responded. Responses are categorised as Physical activity-related, Participation-related and Other/random. 14% stated that they didn’t know and 26% failed to respond.

Physical activity-related (16 responses)
Go and play; Go out and get active, get involved; Active; Go out and play; Go participate; Get active; Go out and play; Go get involved; Keep active; Get active, stay active; Get up and move; Get up and go; Keep on going; Get up and go; Keep active; Fun, activity
Participation-related (16 responses)
All players on off very quickly, everyone involved; Participate; Everyone takes part; Fun, active, all involved; Everyone gets a go; Everyone gets a go and all children have fun; Play for all; Full participation; Participate; Have a go for all; Encourage participation; Every child get a go; Everyone on the go and involved at all times; Everyone together; Everyone plays; All play
Other/random
Enjoy; Compete; Lear ar aghaidh; Fun; Small-sided; Games only; Promotion of Irish games, sport, healthy lifestyles, friendships and enthusiasm; Have a go; Go on; Get involved; Get on; Get out; Give over will ye; Get on the field

§  Indentifying First/Quick/Smart Touch logos (Question 7)

55% of respondents stated that they were aware that each of these logos represents Under8, Under10 and Under12 Gaelic football.

40% said they were not aware of these.

5% failed to respond.

§  Perception of Go Games initiative (Question 8)

83% of respondents confirmed that they are in favour of the Go Games initiative.

2% stated that they were not, 10% confirmed that that they are unsure and 5% failed to respond.

§  Under13 Cumann na mBunscol Competitions

Participants were asked if they think there should be competitive Under13 Cumann na mBunscol championships at 15 players-a-side and where trophies are presented.

DISCUSSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

§  Marketing and Promotion of Go Games

With 83% of participants stating that they are in favour of the Go Games initiative, this highlights the overwhelming support for Go Games in the short few years since its introduction. This represents a real success story of the implementation of this initiative by the GAA. However, it is clear that more work needs to be done market and promote the Go Games initiative to increase understanding and acceptance of its basic philosophy. When participants were asked about what they thought the “Go” means in Go Games, only 56% of participants responded. Responses were categorised as Physical activity-related, Participation-related and Other/random. 14% stated that they didn’t know and 26% failed to respond. This highlights a degree on confusion around definition Go Games.

Again, it is positive that the Go Games label is now an easily identifiable label among teachers. 76% of respondents indicated that they are familiar with the Go Games logo. It is also clear, however, that there is a lack of understanding as to what the other Go Games labels/branding represent. 40% of respondents stated that they are unfamiliar the First Touch, Quick Touch and Smart Touch labels. It could be argued that these labels have not been embraced as replacements for the traditional names of Under-8, Under-10 and U-12 hurling and Gaelic football. In addition, hurling is referred to as Go Hurling and Go Gaelic is referred to Go Football in the Go Games. A total of nine new labels emerged with the introduction of Go Games in recent years. It is important to highlight the possible confusion that rebranding of the games may have caused among the GAA coaching/teaching community. It could be considered that just referring to the initiative as Go Games and dropping the other eight labels may clarify the ultimate message of Go Games – Every Child gets a Go!

There is a need to develop and implement a national Go Games promotional strategy. This could be could be done in conjunction with a relevant external agency, such as the Health Service Executive, to highlight the

health-related benefits of Go Games. This could be targeted at the wider community, in particular women, such as female teachers and mothers to get greater buy-in to the Go Games initiative.

§  Competition at U13 In Primary Schools

One could assume that with 83% of respondents in favour of Go Games, there could be a similar level of opposition to a 15-a-side championship at the Under-12 age level. However, the disparity that was highlighted in the results raises the question; do coaches see Go Games more aligned to U-8 and U-10 age levels? It appears that a strong desire for adult-type championships at the Under12/13 age level still remains among a large fraction of teachers nationwide. A mere 29% of respondents rejected the claim that there should be a 15-a-side championship with the presentation of trophies, with 57% saying there should be. It is clear that the traditional approach for full-sided competitive games programme remains a key motivator for teachers. This must be taken into consideration when formulating GAA policy at Child Level, as teachers play a vital role in the promotion and development of our games nationwide.


Pat Culhane – GAA Games Development & Research 1 | Page